Removable and reversible combined chalkboard and display board



Feb. 1

0, 1959 R. D. DALLEN 2,872,744

REMOVABLE AND REVERSIBLE COMBINED CHALKBOARD AND DISPLAY BOARD Filed Jan. 28, 1955 nited States REMOVABLE AND REVERSIBLE COMBINED CHALKBOARD AND DISPLAY BOARD Robert D. Dallen, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Austral Products Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 28, 1955, Serial No. 484,773

2 Claims. (Cl. --63) Combination chalkboards having removable and reversible panels have heretofore been generally known but, due to complicated and bulky lower support members for the removable panels, the combination has not been as satisfactory or as practical as desired. One of the diificulties has been that because provision has to be made for a chalk tray and eraser holder, the lower support member has consisted of many movable parts which are expensive to manufacture, require attention to maintain in good working order and are bulky and cumbersome for children to manage.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple lower support member for chalkboards, having removable and reversible blackboards, display or drawing board panels which can be manufactured in a single piece, preferably by extrusion of a metal such as aluminum.

A further object is to make the such lower support for a combination chalkboard with as few parts as possible to reduce unnecessary weight and to reduce the number of movable parts requiring adjustment for use.

A further object is to provide a lower support member for a combination chalkboard together with a chalk tray and eraser holder as one integral unit without moving parts.

Other and further objects of the-invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, forming a part of the specification, whereim' Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one chalkboard panel removed, and exposing the inner frame members as attached to a wall and one chalkboard panel placed in vertical position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 showing a panel in the chalkboard position and a dot and dash outline of the same panel in a slanted or easel position; A

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring again to the drawings and, more particularly, to Fig. l, the invention shows a wall 1 to which is attached the top frame number 2, side frame members 3, bottom frame member 4, and panel division members 5. Each panel 6 is provided with small holes 7 into which a finger may be inserted in order to grip the panel to remove it.

Both the top frame member 2 and the bottom frame member 4 extend horizontally to enclose as many panels as desired.

" atent O 2,372,744 Patented Feb. 10, 1959 The top frame member 2 as shown in Fig. 2 is composed of an inverted channel member having one long leg 8 and one shorter leg 9. The end of leg 9 is extended outwardly at about an angle of 45 degrees forming a lip 10 as a guide to enable the top edge of panel 6 to be inserted into the open space of top frame member 2. On the outer side of leg 9 there is a longitudinal slot 12 formed between the outer wall of leg 9, the upright member 11 and the bottom member 13. Hooks and clamps (not shown) are placed into slot 12 to hold maps, etc., which may be desired to be hung from the top of the chalkboard. A fulcrum 14 is formed on leg 8 in the form of an inwardly curved portion extending longitudinally. The are of this fulcrum piece is just enough so that when panel 6 is placed in a vertical position between top frame 2 and the bottom frame groove 15 a slight pressure is created at this fulcrum point to hold panel 6 in a rigid vertical position. Panel 6 has sufficient spring in it to cause it to fit snugly into groove 15 when it is exerting pressure against the rigid fulcrum 14.

The bottom frame 4 comprises a horizontal series of grooves 15, 16, 17 and 18 and a vertical back support piece 19 which isused as a means for attaching the entire bottom frame 4 to wall 1.

Panel 6 cooperates with the upper frame 2 and grooves 15, 16, 17 and 18 to form either a chalkboard, display board or a drawinng board. When it is desired to use panel 6 as a chalkboard the bottom edge of panel 6 is placed in groove 15 and the upper edge placed in the groove of upper frame 2. Groove 16 enables the panel to be placed at a slight angle to eliminate glare or undesirable refiections of light. By placing the lower edge of panel 6 in grooves 17 or 18 the panel may be used as a display board or as a drawing board. Since the panels are removable and reversible one surface of panel 6 may be of a chalkboard composition and the other surface may be of a material suitable as a display board or as a drawing board. Grooves 15, 16, 17 and 18 as well as serving as a lower support means for panel 6 also serve as a chalk tray and as an eraser holder.

It is to be understood that the number of grooves making up the horizontal portion of lower support member 4 may be of any number greater than two.

As various changes may be made in form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A chalkboard construction comprising the combination of a removable and reversible panel having top and bottom edges, an upper grooved top rail member having a body part in the form of a downwardly disposed channel member having one leg longer than the other to receive the top edge of said panel, said longer leg having an integrally formed inwardly curved portion extending longitudinally of the channel member to serve as a fulcrum for said panel, and a one piece, separate, fixed, permanently attached chalk tray spaced below said top rail member having a plurality of upwardly facing parallel grooves, said grooves being adapted to receive the bottom edge of said panel when the top edge of said panel is in the channel of said grooved top rail.

2. In a chalkboard construction, support means including operatively connected top and bottom rails, said top rail having a single downwardly open groove and said bottom rail having a plurality of upwardly open grooves including an innermost groove in the vertical plane of the groove of the top member and a removable ice References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Dec. 18, 1934 Myers Sept. 7, 1937 Lowry May 19, 1942 Elnett Oct. 27, 1942 Urbain June 1, 1954 Jecmen Dec. 13, 1955 

